


under a star-filled sky

by mauvepens



Series: it's not the destination [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Come into this with low expectations, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:02:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mauvepens/pseuds/mauvepens
Summary: "Listen, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you can't just keep staring at Leo for the rest of your life".(a conversation, because what wouldn't Jason do for those eyes?)
Relationships: Jason Grace/Leo Valdez
Series: it's not the destination [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2102793
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	under a star-filled sky

**Author's Note:**

> god i've been reworking this one forever

Jason stared into his grape juice like it could hold the secrets of the universe. All of his friends had gotten dates to the dance, while Jason was left alone. Piper was off dancing with Shel, Nico and Will talking near some balloons. Of course, the true source of his trouble stood around 25 feet away from him. Leo was smiling brightly at Echo, a girl who he had apparently met in his photography class. Leo, per usual, looked amazing, which was something that Jason was trying very hard not to think about.

So, on the whole his night wasn't going great. But, it was fine. He was getting well-acquainted with the chip bowl, which was salt and vinegar. Leo’s favorite flavor.

Before Jason could spiral too far, there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Percy wearing a dark suit and a slightly pitying smile. 

“So,” Percy said, drawing out the word. “What’s up?” 

“Oh, you know. Not much. Where’s Annabeth, anyway?”

Percy waved his hand to where Annabeth was laughing and dancing with a girl from his math class who he recognized as Silena Beauregard. 

Percy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Listen, I think we have to talk. Can we go outside?" 

Jason had the sudden urge to turn around and run as far as he could, far enough so that he could avoid this conversation for as long as humanly possible. Instead, he gave a sharp nod and followed Percy out into the cool night air. Percy sighed again and tilted his head up to take in the dark sky.

"Are you ever going to tell him?"

The question hit Jason like a wrecking ball. Insanely enough, he could faintly hear Miley Cyrus playing in the distance. He shook his head and the noise went away. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jason said, trying not to let his face give him away. Percy, in return, sent him an extremely disbelieving look, and Jason silently marveled at the sheer stink-eye that he was displaying. Obviously, Sally Jackson's genes were shining through.

"Listen, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you can't just keep staring at Leo for the rest of your life."

Jason held back a groan at Percy's words. There probably wasn't much point in denying it by now. The real problem was that Jason was much, much less optimistic than he'd been back in winter. Back then Leo was single, and still moaning constantly about his lack of a relationship. Now, with Leo looking so goddamn happy next to Echo back inside the gym, Jason's jealousy was roaring so loudly in his desk that he just wanted to punch something.

"I don't see why you care, anyway," Jason said defensively. "I'll get over it eventually." 

"Jason, you'll never know if you don't try!" 

Something deep inside Jason broke. He took a step closer to Percy, making the most of their one-inch height difference. "He doesn't fucking love me, Percy," Jason snapped, feeling his pale skin warm in anger. "He. Doesn't. Fucking. Love Me." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he backed away, sitting down heavily on the cold concrete. "And I would do anything for him. Go anywhere."

It wasn't a lie, either. If Leo looked at him with those huge eyes and asked for the moon, Jason would find a way to give it to him. Percy looked a little chastised, obviously rethinking his approach. "Listen, I'm not trying to pressure you. But this," he waved a hand in a circle to convey the huge mess Jason was currently in, "is not good for you. You're miserable".

Jason...didn't know what to say to that. It was probably true. "Did you know that Leo and I met in seventh grade?" he asked instead. Percy definitely knew this, but he nodded along, probably sensing that this was leading up to something. "I was sitting by my locker, eating lunch since I had no friends". Jason can see Percy struggling to hold back a laugh at his dead-pan assessment, but continued anyway. "And all of a sudden this fucking tiny kid sprints past me and runs into a janitors closet. And obviously, because it's Leo, there's someone chasing after him. Do you remember Coach Hedge?" 

Percy looks confused for a second, but then his features fill with recognition. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about him. He and Leo had a weird rivalry thing going on, didn't they?"

Jason nods and continues the story. "And Coach sees me there, and starts grilling me about whatever Leo did, which, by the way, was managing to remote control hijack the egg drops of an entire eighth grade class. I had no clue what was going on so I'm just listening to this with like mounting terror. And then at some point Leo takes pity on me and bursts out of the closet, so Coach focuses back on him and saves me from a month of detention."

Percy frowned slightly, confused. "Okay, but what does this have to do with anything?"

Jason could feel the exasperation building up inside him, he threw his hands up in the air. "Leo saved me. That's always how it works. Leo...he doesn't need me". He put up a hand to stop Percy's protests. "I always need him". 

Leo, Jason thought, was rather like a fire. He was gorgeous and wild, but fire didn't like to be contained. Jason had seen the way Leo stared out the window sometimes, like he wanted to run, and hide, and never come back. Jason always had that feeling in the back of his mind that _one day he'll be gone, and you'll never see him again_.

"Like I said," Jason continued. "I _can't_ tell Leo that I'm fucking in love with him. Because there's no way in hell that someone like that could ever want me back."

Percy, for his part, looked absolutely stumped. He opened his mouth to say something but-

"Guys," a voice called from the entrance to the gym. "Are y'all going to come in or you just going to stare at each other?" 

Breaking eye contact with Percy, Jason turned around and jogged back to where Leo was standing, forcing an easy grin on his face. He slowed to a stop near the double doors, leaning against the window. "Hey," Jason said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Shouldn't you be here with Echo?" Leo shrugged, fiddling with some pipe cleaners that he had grabbed from his pocket.

"I'd rather hang out with you instead. I think she still has a thing going on with her ex, and everyone else inside is much too in love for my tastes." Jason could feel his heart leap at the sentence, so he sternly reminded himself that 'I'd rather hang out with you' did not mean 'I'm madly in love with you'. "Anyway," Leo said, smile blossoming across his face. "Wanna get out of here? This dance is terrible."

Jason glanced back at where Percy was standing, a tall figure lit by the streetlamps. He turned away and nodded in the affirmative, following Leo across the parking lot. After all, what wouldn't he do for Leo's eyes?

**Author's Note:**

> kind of shitty but hey that's my motto.


End file.
